Battery holder



April 1939. E. N ANKETELL 2,154,653

BATTERY HOLDER Filed Dec. 11, 1936 Patented Apr. 18, 1939 2,154,653

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE BATTERY HOLDER Edward N. Anlretell, New Haven, Conn, assignor to The A. 0. Gilbert Company, New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Maryland Application December 11, 1936, Serial No. 115,373

2 Claims. (Cl. 136171) This invention relates to battery holders, and cell or to as many as it is desired to use, the cells more particularly to a container or holder for an being connected in series, as is usual. electric battery consisting of dry cells, whereby Secured to the rear end member I3 is a the current from the battery may be used for any U-shaped spring Hi, the free end I9 of which is desired purpose. adapted to contact with the bottom portion of 5 The invention also relates particularly to batthe metal case of the rear cell so as to be in the tery holders for use with toy sets, wherein cerelectrical circuit when the latter is closed. That tain devices such as light bulbs, small motors, and is, the member |B is a spring contact member, toys of various kinds are designed to be operated establishing contact between the metal container by a battery current of low voltage. It is very of the cell and the holder ID of thebattery, which 10 convenient for use in connection with toy sets holder is preferably made of sheet metal. from which various devices may be constructed The front end M of the holder is considerably which are to be used with an electric current, or higher than the rear end so as to extend upwardly which may contain various devices with which above the cells of the battery, and at its upper an electric current is designed to be used, to proend the member I4 is provided with a rearwardly 15 vide a holder or container in which one or more turned portion, so that the front end member of dry cells may be held, and which holder is prothe holder is of inverted L-shape. This portion 7 vided with conducting leads designed to be conwill generally extend in a horizontal direction, nected with the electrical device, and a switch to as the battery holder normally rests upon the base 20 control the passage of the current through these or bottom portion l5. 20 leads from the battery. Secured to the under side of the horizontally One object of the invention is to provide a extending portion 20 of the holder, is a switch to simple and convenient device for holding a dry control the passage of current from the battery. cell battery of such a character that it may be This switch may compriseapair of electrical coneconomically made and at the same time may be tacts 2| and 22 secured to an insulating member 2 provided with a simple type of switch. 23, which is supported from a plate 24, this plate A still further object of the invention is the being in turn secured to the member 20 by the provision of a battery holder which may be ecoscrews 25. The contacts 2| and 22 are designed nomically made of sheet metal, for example, and to be electrically connected by means of a slidably provided with a convenient type of switchv to conmovable switch member 26 resting upon the upper 30 trol the passage of current from the battery, and surface of the member 23. The member 26 is which will be so constructed that the cells may connected to a plate 21 having a manually enbe readily placed in the holder and removed gageable part 28 projecting upwardly through therefrom. the slot 29 in the member 20. A coil spring 30 To these and other ends the invention consists mounted within the member 28 serves to urge the 35 in the novel features and combinations of parts switch member 26 downwardly against the upper to be hereinafter described and claimed. ends of the contacts 2| and 22.

In the drawing: The front end l4 of the battery holder is pro- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a battery holder vided with a contact post 3| designed to contact embodying my invention; with the central electrode 32 of the adjacent dry 40 Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view oi the cell, this electrode, as usual, being one of the batholder; tery terminals. The contact post 3| is insulated Fig. 3 is an end view of the same; and from the case by means of the washers 33, and a, Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing another conducting wire 34 leads from this contact post use of the battery holder. to the contact member 2| of the switch. ,Like- 45 To illustrate apreferred embodiment of my inwise, a conducting lead wire 35 leads from the vention, I have shown a battery holder ID of subother contact member 22 of the switch outwardly stantially rectangular shape, the holder as shown through an opening in the member I4, so that comprising side members and I2, end members it may be connected to the electrical device which I3 and I4, and a bottom member IS. The top is is to be operated from the battery. The second 50 left open so that the cells I6 and I1 comprising lead 36 is secured by soldering or the like to some the battery may be readily placed in the holder part of the holder, as for example, the under side and removed therefrom. It will be understood, of the member 20, as shown at 36a, and passes of course, that the holder It may be made of outwardly through anopening in the end memsuch length that it may be adapted to only one ber ll.

The leads 35 and 36 may be secured to any suitable electrical device. As shown in Fig. 1, they are connected to the terminals of a light socket 31 supported by the base 38. It will be understood that the lead 36 is connected directly to the part 20 of the holder, and therefore receives the current through the body of the holder from the spring contact member 18, which makes contact with the base of the metallic container of one of the cells. The other lead 35 receives its current from the central electrode 32 of the cell, as controlled by the switch secured to the switch-supporting member 20.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the switch is in the oil position. It will be readily understood, however, that the member 28 may be engaged by the finger and moved to the right so that the member 26 will engage both contact members 2| and 22 and therefore close the circuit between these members, thus completing the circuit through the leads 35 and 36 when these leads are connected to an electrical device.

It will be noted that the front end member 14 is provided with openings 40 and M. These openings make it possible to attach devices to the front of the holder, such, for example, as the base 330i the light socket 31, as shown in Fig. 4. This member may be secured in place by passing bolts through the openings 42 and 43 in the base 38 and the openings 4D and 4| in the end member.

A light bulb can be placed in the socket 31, and the holder may then be used as a flashlight, the

switch 28 controlling the lighting of the bulb.

Other uses than those described will, of course, readily suggest themselves.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A battery holder comprising a sheet metal container of substantially rectangular shape and having a fiat bottom upon which the container rests in a horizontal position, said container being openat its upper side to receive one or more battery cells in a horizontal position, a metallic spring member secured upon one of the ends of the container and making electrical contact therewith and extending inwardly to make contact with the case of the adjacent cell, a contact post mounted in the opposite end member of the container and insulated therefrom, said contact post making contact with the electrode of the adjacent cell, the last-named end member of said container being extended upwardly beyond the container sides and having a portion turned horizontally inwardly over the -adjacent battery cell and in spaced relation therewith, a switch supported at the under side of said horizontal portion, a conductor connecting said contact post with one terminal of said switch, a conductor leading from the container connected to the other terminal of the switch, and a second conductor leading from the container and being electrically connected thereto.

2. A battery holder comprising a sheet metal container of substantially rectangular shape and having a .flat bottom'upon'which the container rests in a'horizontalposition, said container being open'at its upper side to receive one or more battery cells in ahorizontal position, a metallic spring member secured upon one of the ends of the container and making electrical contact therewith and extending inwardly to make contact with the case of the adjacent cell, a contact post mounted in the opposite end member of the container and insulated therefrom, said contact post making contact with the electrode of the adjacent cell, the last-named end member of said container being'extended upwardly beyond the container sides and having a portion turned horizontally inwardly over the adjacent battery cell and in spaced relation therewith, a switch supported'at the underside of said horizontal portion, a conductor connecting said contact post with one terminal of said switch, a conductor leading from the container connected to the other terminal of the switch, a second'conductor leading from the container and being electrically connected thereto, said horizontally turned portion being provided with a slot, and a switch-operating member movably carried by said portion and having a part-extending through said slot to be accessible at the upper side of said portion.

EDWARD N. ANKE'I'EL-L. 

